Matthew Bianchi was transferred after upsetting a senior official in the New York Police Department by issuing a ticket to a friend.
New York City has settled a lawsuit with a Staten Island police officer, Mathew Bianchi, for $175,000. Officer Bianchi claimed he faced retaliation for giving traffic tickets to individuals with connections to high-ranking officials in the Police Department. The officer alleged that he was transferred out of his precinct’s traffic unit after issuing a ticket to a woman who was reportedly a friend of Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, who was then the chief of patrol and is now the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the department.
Officer Bianchi’s attorney, John Scola, stated that the settlement vindicates his client and allows him to move forward in his career with the N.Y.P.D. The lawyer expressed hope that Officer Bianchi’s bravery and the successful outcome of the case would encourage other officers to speak out against wrongdoing within the department. The settlement did not involve the city admitting any fault, as it denied most of Officer Bianchi’s allegations, including the involvement of Chief Maddrey in his transfer.
Nick Paolucci, a spokesperson for the city’s Law Department, mentioned that resolving the case was in the best interest of all parties. Officer Bianchi, who joined the force in 2015, claimed that his precinct’s unwritten policy was to avoid ticketing drivers with courtesy cards issued by police unions, which are distributed to friends and family of officers. His decision to issue tickets to cardholders led to difficulties within the department, according to his lawsuit and subsequent interviews.
Source: The NY Times
